The Origins of 62 Dinosaur Pokemon & the Real Dinosaurs Behind Them

Pokemon avoids the word dinosaur. None of the 62 has dinosaur in its official category, and the closest is the Fossil Pokemon, which only three of them are. Most of the dinosaur design is hidden inside dragons and lizards, usually as one borrowed part such as a head crest or a long neck. The Paradox Pokemon go the other way and are supposed to be creatures from the distant past, and four of the six Paradox Pokemon here trace back to a paranormal magazine instead of a scientist.

See all 62 dinosaur Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 62 dinosaur Pokemon:

All 62 Dinosaur Pokemon

#004

Charmander

Charmander was designed as a lizard, and its name adds the salamander, which folklore treats as a fire spirit able to survive in flames. The dinosaur comes in through its posture, since its bipedal design resembles a baby theropod dinosaur. A flame burns at the tip of its tail from the time it is born, and its life would end if that flame went out. (We cannot keep a candle lit through dinner.) Its Blaze ability makes its Fire moves deal 1.5× damage once its HP, its health bar, drops to a third or less. An ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle.

#005

Charmeleon

Charmeleon takes its name and body from lizards, with the mythical fire salamander mixed in. The dinosaur part is on top of its head, where the crest resembles that of the dinosaur Parasaurolophus. If it becomes agitated during battle, it spouts intense flames and incinerates its surroundings. We get agitated in traffic as well and incinerate nothing, which the other drivers appreciate. Special Attack powers special moves such as its fire breath, while Speed decides who attacks first in a turn. It stands 1.1 m tall and weighs 19 kg.

#006

Charizard

Charizard Leans hardest into the dragon of the three. Its design may come from European dragons, which folklore ties closely to fire, and that look later showed up in the Fire / Dragon typing of Mega Charizard X (Mega Evolution is a temporary in-battle transformation). Like the rest of its line, it also borrows from lizards and dinosaurs, plus the mythical salamander. Its wings can carry it close to an altitude of 4,600 feet, and it blows out fire at very high temperatures. We get winded on the second floor, so a Pokemon that flies for fun is hard to relate to. It is 1.7 m tall and weighs 90.5 kg.

#112

Rhydon

Rhydon looks like a rhinoceros, and its name agrees, but it was also created with a Kaiju motif in mind. Parts of its design draw on dinosaurs such as ceratopsids, the horned dinosaur family, and its horn may be based on a drill. Rhydon rapidly rotates its horn to bore through bedrock, and it swaggers around volcanic regions, protected from the lava's heat by its tough, armorlike hide. A drill on its face seems like a lot to us, since we cannot get a shelf up. Its Attack of 130 powers physical moves, and its Defense of 120 cuts the damage it takes from them. Its Rock Head ability protects it against recoil, the damage some strong moves deal back to their user.

#142

Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl is based on pterosaurs, prehistoric flying reptiles that are related to dinosaurs without being classified as them. Its general shape and head crest may come from pterodactyloids, while its long tail may come from rhamphorhynchids. On top of that, its pointed wings and spaded tail give it the look of a wyvern. Its sawlike fangs can shred skin to tatters, even the skin of Steel-type Pokemon. Its Speed of 130 makes it the second fastest Pokemon here, behind only Koraidon.

#152

Chikorita

Chikorita is based on sauropods, the long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs. Its shape also recalls a pear or a Belgian endive, a type of chicory, and the buds around its neck look like a necklace. It may even draw on Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring and agriculture. In battle Chikorita waves its leaf around to keep the foe at bay, but a sweet fragrance wafts from the leaf, becalming the battling Pokemon and creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere all around. Our idea of a cozy, friendly atmosphere is a closed door. It stands 0.9 m tall.

#153

Bayleef

Bayleef Narrows the sauropod down to one dinosaur, the Apatosaurus. Its leaves may come from the bay laurel, whose oil is used for healing and as a stimulant in aromatherapy. Its neck is ringed by curled-up leaves, each holding a small shoot of a tree, and the fragrance of this shoot makes people peppy. Peppy is a big ask before lunch, and we will take two shoots, please. Defense cuts the damage from physical hits and Special Defense does the same for special ones.

#154

Meganium

Meganium has the appearance of a sauropod, particularly an Apatosaurus, topped with a flower that seems to come from a hybrid daylily. (A dinosaur Pokemon partly based on a plant that was mistaken for a dinosaur had us reading it twice.) The fragrance of its flower soothes and calms emotions, and in battle it gives off more of that scent to blunt the foe's fighting spirit. It stands 1.8 m tall, weighs 100.5 kg and has a Defense and Special Defense of 100.

#159

Croconaw

Croconaw is based on a crocodilian, though its head resembles that of a theropod dinosaur. It also carries a prehistoric theme, since its head spikes and chest pattern seem to be based on the wild hair and animal-skin cloth worn by cavemen. In Pokemon Sleep it even sleeps with one eye open, like real crocodiles. Once Croconaw has clamped its jaws on its foe, it will absolutely not let go, because the tips of its fangs are forked back like barbed fishhooks. We hold grudges with the same technique.

#246

Larvitar

Larvitar shares similarities with dinosaurs and kaiju, and its habit of eating mountains may come from the legend of the Tarasque. Larvitar feeds on soil, and after it has eaten a large mountain, it falls asleep so it can grow. (A whole mountain and then a nap, and we relate to the second half.) That diet shows on the scale, since it is 0.6 m tall and weighs 72 kg. Its Guts ability raises its Attack to 1.5× when it has a major status ailment, a lasting condition such as poison or a burn.

#248

Tyranitar

Tyranitar draws on the kaiju genre, and its upright posture may allude to how most kaiju are humanoid in shape, since a person had to fit inside the suit. Somewhere in there a stuntman is sweating, and we salute them. It may also take from the armadillo girdled lizard, a desert lizard known for its especially firm scales, and from certain theropod dinosaurs. The quakes caused when it walks make even great mountains crumble and change the surrounding terrain. It stands 2 m tall and weighs 202 kg, with an Attack of 134. Its Sand Stream ability summons a sandstorm that lasts indefinitely once it enters battle.

#253

Grovyle

Grovyle is the Wood Gecko Pokemon, and like the rest of its line it shares traits with the leaf-tailed gecko. Its dinosaur side bears significant resemblance to Dromaeosaurus, which is believed to have had feathers, much like Grovyle has leaves on its body. The leaves on its tail look like the tails of Epidexipteryx, which had short tails that supported much larger feathers. Grovyle adeptly flies from branch to branch, and in a forest no Pokemon can ever hope to catch a fleeing Grovyle. No Pokemon can catch it, and we cannot even catch a bus.

#254

Sceptile

Sceptile keeps the leaf-tailed gecko of its line and adds a resemblance to Dilophosaurus. Seeds grow on its back that are said to be bursting with nutrients that revitalize trees, and it raises the trees in a forest with loving care. We have killed a cactus, so a whole forest sounds like a lot of loving care. When it Mega Evolves, it can launch its tail, which may reference autotomy, the defense in which reptiles and other animals shed a body part and later regrow it.

#286

Breloom

Breloom is a mushroom first, yet the dinosaur is there if you look. Its dome-shaped head resembles that of a Pachycephalosaurus, and its club-shaped tail resembles that of an Ankylosaurus. Even its pre-evolution Shroomish resembles a dinosaur egg. Its body structure is closer to a kangaroo, and the boxing kangaroo may explain its Fighting type. The seeds ringing its tail are hardened toxic spores, and one bite will make your stomach rumble. We had no plans to bite it, but thank you anyway. Its Poison Heal ability heals it by an eighth of its max HP each turn when it is poisoned, in place of damage.

#348

Armaldo

Armaldo is based on Anomalocaris, an ancient genus of marine arthropod, and it only shares some physical traits with theropod dinosaurs. (An arthropod on a dinosaur list is odd, and we are keeping it anyway.) Although it lives on land, it is also a good swimmer, and it dives into the ocean in search of prey, using its sharp claws to take down its quarry. It stands 1.5 m tall. Its Attack of 125 leads its stats, and its Battle Armor ability protects it against critical hits, the random hits that deal extra damage.

#357

Tropius

Tropius resembles a generic sauropod combined with a banana plant. Its tropical look and sauropod body may also come from Mokele-mbembe, a cryptid said to live in the Congo River Basin and most often described as a sauropod. Bunches of delicious fruit grow around its neck, and in warm areas many ranches raise Tropius. A ranch of dinosaurs that grow fruit sounds good, and we would visit and do none of the work. It stands 2 m tall and weighs 100 kg. Its Chlorophyll ability doubles its Speed in strong sunlight.

#371

Bagon

Bagon is mostly a dragon, though it may borrow from Pachycephalosaurus, the two-legged dinosaur known for its domed head. The growth on top of its skull is similar to a mullet. Bagon is a solitary Pokemon that never forms groups with others of its kind, and its head is hard enough to cleave a boulder in one strike. (A mullet and no friends, and we have had worse years.) Its Rock Head ability backs up the skull, since Rock Head protects Bagon from recoil.

#383

Groudon

Groudon may be a personification of the land, modeled after the Earth's volcanoes, yet its body resembles a theropod dinosaur with spikes borrowed from various ankylosaurs. Its feud with Kyogre echoes Behemoth and Leviathan of Hebrew legend, two beasts who at the end of time would start a battle that kills them both. The omega pattern on its arms and legs may stand for that ending. Through Primal Reversion it takes back its true form, and it can make magma erupt and expand the landmass of the world. It stands 3.5 m tall and weighs 950 kg. Its Drought ability summons strong sunlight as soon as it enters battle. (We also change the weather when we walk into a room, though ours tends toward drizzle.)

#389

Torterra

Torterra is a snapping turtle crossed with an ankylosaur, the armored dinosaur, and its spikes may also come from the extinct turtles Meiolania and Proganochelys. In concept it may be the World Turtle of various mythologies, which carries the world on its back, and Torterra does its part by hauling a whole tree around on its shell. Torterra would serve beautifully as borrowed scenery for a garden, and it roams the wilderness in search of clean water. We would like it on our balcony, but the balcony has asked us to reconsider. It weighs 310 kg with an Attack of 109, and its Overgrow ability makes its Grass moves deal 1.5× damage once its HP drops to a third or less.

#408

Cranidos

Cranidos is based on Pachycephalosaurus, a dinosaur with a very thick skull roof that it probably used for headbutting combat. Cranidos is an incredibly rare sight, and Cranidos duel by ramming their heads together, with a sound that echoes through the area like the pealing of a bell. (Settling arguments by headbutt is not for us, since we prefer a strongly worded email and a nap.) That headbutt has a price, since its Attack of 125 comes with a Defense of 40. Its Mold Breaker ability lets its moves ignore any target's ability that would weaken or block them.

#409

Rampardos

Rampardos keeps the Pachycephalosaurus base, but its large horns and head ornaments resemble the juvenile animal, which scientists once filed as separate species called Stygimoloch and Dracorex. It also plays the ultimate spear, the unstoppable force set against Bastiodon's immovable object. Very little is known about its biology, and it can knock down massive trees by smashing its pearl-like crown against them. Science still has questions about it, and ours is about the headaches.

#410

Shieldon

Shieldon is a ceratopsian dinosaur crossed with a shield, and its lack of horns makes it closest to Protoceratops. Few have ever seen it. Even so, it is calm and dislikes conflict, and it enjoys polishing its face against trees and rocks. (We aspire to half of a pacifist's skincare routine.) It stands 0.5 m tall and weighs 57 kg.

#411

Bastiodon

Bastiodon is another ceratopsian, with a head that resembles Chasmosaurus. Its face plate looks like a castle wall, and when its mouth is closed the horns and tusks line up like a portcullis. It plays the ultimate shield, the immovable object facing Rampardos's spear. Nobody knows where it lives, and we would like that arrangement for ourselves.

#444

Gabite

Gabite mixes dinosaurian kaiju with wyverns and sharks, the hammerhead most of all. The dinosaur part may be Carcharodontosaurus, a theropod whose teeth get compared to a great white shark's for their serrations. Its habit of collecting gems recalls the European dragons that guard a treasure hoard. Gabite are usually violent, but that one turned docile when the writer gave it a glass bead it had been eyeing. We fold to the same bribery with jewelry, with less dignity. Its Sand Veil ability raises its evasion, the chance that attacks miss it, to 1.25× during a sandstorm.

#445

Garchomp

Garchomp shares Gabite's blend of sharks, wyverns and Carcharodontosaurus, then adds aircraft. Its fins may allude to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a fighter plane that popularized shark nose art and was often called the desert shark. Mega Garchomp goes darker, with a skull-like head and scythe-like arms that may come from the Grim Reaper. Garchomp soars across the heavens at blinding speed. It also has a feral disposition, and utmost caution is advised if you meet one out in the wilds. We would take that advice further and stay indoors. Its Attack of 130 and Speed of 102 make the warning sound modest.

#464

Rhyperior

Rhyperior evolves from Rhydon when it is traded to another player while holding a Protector, and its design piles even more onto Rhydon's frame. It is an amalgam of a rhinoceros, the kaiju genre and various dinosaurs, ceratopsids and Ankylosaurus in particular, with bullet-resistant body armor vests and cannon artillery on top. Its overall look also alludes to a miner sporting a mining drill and a hard hat. Its rocklike hide is composed of a mysterious substance and can withstand a blow from a masterwork sword with nary a scratch. We bruise on coffee tables and would like that hide. Its Attack of 140 and Defense of 130 lead its stats, and its Solid Rock ability cuts the damage it takes from super-effective moves, the ones its types are weak to, by a quarter.

#483

Dialga

Dialga looks like a short-necked sauropod such as Camarasaurus or Brachytrachelopan. Its legend reaches further back, since Dialga and Palkia may come from the Shinto story of Izanami and Izanagi, who created the islands of Japan. The turquoise pattern on its body is vaguely reminiscent of clock hands, and its Steel type may come from adamant, an archaic word for diamond that means unconquerable. Dialga is revered as a deity in Hisuian legend, and its birth set the vast river of time flowing. It stands 5.4 m tall. (It invented time, and we still run late.)

#484

Palkia

Palkia is mostly a European dragon combined with a pearl, but its body may also come from Plateosaurus or other bipedal dinosaurs such as Oviraptor. The plates on its face and the crest on its neck resemble the helmets of soldiers in Ancient Greece and Rome. Palkia is feared as a deity in Hisuian legend, and its birth made the walls of the world disappear, creating a sky that spans for infinity. We had to lie down after reading the word infinity. Its Special Attack is 150.

#487

Giratina

Giratina is a personification of antimatter, according to Junichi Masuda and Takeshi Kawachimaru. In its Altered Forme it resembles a European dragon or a sauropod, though its body and pose bear a striking resemblance to some sphinx moth caterpillars. Its Origin Forme turns serpentine and may draw on the Oomukade, a giant centipede said to prey on dragons. A Hisuian verse tells of a powerful light creating a deep shadow, and the writer imagines that shadow is Giratina. We would like to see that shadow from a safe distance, such as another region.

#552

Krokorok

Krokorok is a slender-snouted crocodile mixed with the Nile crocodile, and it may also come from Baryonyx, a fish-eating dinosaur with a slender snout that heavily resembled a crocodilian. The black membrane around its eyes could be a nod to night goggles. Its specialized eyes let it see in the dark, yet Krokorok won't move much at night because the desert gets cold after sunset. It has night vision and stays in bed anyway, and we feel seen. Its Intimidate ability lowers the opponent's Attack, the stat behind moves that make contact, by one stage when Krokorok enters battle.

#553

Krookodile

Krookodile keeps the crocodile and Baryonyx base and adds a gharial, thanks to its long snout. Its Ground type may also point to Quinkana, an extinct crocodilian that once lived on land in Australia, while its Dark type may cast it as a gang leader. Krookodile is terribly aggressive, yet patient enough to stay hidden under sand for days while it lies in wait for prey. (We cannot sit through one episode of anything without checking our phone, let alone days under sand.) It has an Attack of 117 and a Speed of 92, and its Moxie ability raises its Attack one stage each time it knocks out a Pokemon, which lets one good start snowball through a team.

#566

Archen

Archen comes from Archaeopteryx, a bird-like dinosaur once believed by scientists to be the earliest of all birds, whose discovery led to a breakthrough in the study of where birds came from. Its category nods to that, since it is the First Bird Pokemon. Archen is said to be the ancestor of bird Pokemon, and it lived in treetops, eating berries and Bug Pokemon. It hits hard for a 9.5 kg animal, with an Attack of 112. However, its Defeatist ability halves its Attack and Special Attack once its HP falls to half or below. (The first bird gives up at half health, and we relate more than we would like.)

#567

Archeops

Archeops keeps Archen's Archaeopteryx base, which is where its category, the First Bird Pokemon, comes from. Its body shape also resembles Microraptor, which had feathers on its legs like this Pokemon does. We respect a creature that has wings and still knows its limits.

On paper it is fearsome, with an Attack of 140 and a Speed of 110. However, its ability is Defeatist, which halves its Attack and Special Attack once its HP drops to half or lower.

#610

Axew

Axew, like its final form Haxorus, is based on dinosaurs. Its crest may come from the hadrosaurids, Saurolophus specifically, or perhaps from the brown basilisk, and its tusks seem to be based on axes. Oddly enough, its design was reverse-engineered from Haxorus, one of the first Unova Pokemon to be designed. Axew play with each other by knocking their large tusks together, and the tusks sometimes break but grow back so quickly that it is no concern. Headbutting a friend for fun and healing by lunch is beyond us, since we need a week to recover from a paper cut.

#611

Fraxure

Fraxure evolves from Axew at level 38 and keeps the same dinosaur base, with a crest that may come from Saurolophus and elongated tusks that look like pickaxe blades. Its skin is as hard as a suit of armor, and its favorite strategy is to tackle opponents while stabbing them with its tusks at the same time. We admire the time management of two attacks in one motion.

Its Rivalry ability raises its damage to 1.25× against Pokemon of the same gender and cuts it to 0.75× against the opposite gender, which makes it a gamble in most fights.

#612

Haxorus

Haxorus evolves from Fraxure at level 48. The specific dinosaur behind it may be Heterodontosaurus, an early Jurassic dinosaur named for its unique teeth that protrude from its mouth, much like Haxorus's tusks, which also resemble battle axe blades. While it is usually kindhearted, it can be terrifying if angered, and it deals with adversaries using tusks that can slice through steel beams. Kind by default with axes on its face, and we will be extremely polite.

Its Attack of 147 trails only Rampardos, Zekrom. Its Mold Breaker ability lets its moves ignore any ability on the target that would hinder or prevent them.

#633

Deino

Deino resembles a juvenile dragon or sauropod. Since it is blind and only found near water in a cave, it may also be based on a cave salamander. Because it cannot see, it is constantly biting at everything it touches to keep track of its surroundings. Getting to know the world by mouth is something we also do at a buffet.

Its Hustle ability makes its physical moves, the ones powered by its Attack stat, deal 1.5× damage while dropping their accuracy to 0.8×. That trade suits a Pokemon that cannot see what it is hitting anyway. With a Speed of 38, it usually moves last as well.

#643

Reshiram

Reshiram Earns its place here through its looks: it resembles a wyvern with characteristics of other animals, pterosaurs among them. The bigger idea behind it is yin and yang, which its Japanese category spells out as the White Yang Pokemon, and its tail, the center point of the design, is based on an electric turbine that looks more like a torch. According to myth, if people ignore truth and become consumed by greed, Reshiram will arrive to burn their kingdoms down. That is strict, though we have read the comments section.

Its Special Attack matches Palkia's 150. Its Turboblaze ability lets its moves ignore any ability on the target that would hinder or prevent them.

#644

Zekrom

Zekrom is Reshiram's counterpart, the Black Yin Pokemon in Japanese, and its design was made tough and masculine against Reshiram's graceful one. Beyond the European dragon, it somewhat resembles a mid-sized to large theropod dinosaur such as Allosaurus or Tyrannosaurus, while the crest on its head is based on a thundercloud. If people lose the righteousness in their hearts, mythology tells us their kingdoms will be razed by Zekrom's lightning. Between these two, we are unsure who is left to run anything.

Teravolt, its ability, lets its moves ignore any ability on the target that would hinder or prevent them.

#646

Kyurem

Kyurem Completes the trio with Reshiram and Zekrom as wuji, the absence of yin and yang. In overall design it is based on a theropod and a European dragon, similar to Zekrom, and its arms in particular seem to be influenced by Tyrannosaurus. Its rock-like body and its story of arriving on Earth like a meteor point to comets, which are largely made of ice crystals. Kyurem appears to use its powers over ice to freeze its own body and stabilize its cellular structure. We hold ourselves together with coffee instead.

Its Attack and Special Attack are both 130, and its Pressure ability makes moves that target it cost one extra PP, the limited number of uses each move has.

#695

Heliolisk

Heliolisk is likely based on the frilled lizard, and its link to dinosaurs is thin: it shares a few resemblances with Dilophosaurus, a genus of theropod with two crests on its head, commonly yet inaccurately depicted with a frill on its neck. Its English name and bipedal stance are likely inspired by the common basilisk. One Heliolisk basking in the sun with its frill outspread would produce enough electricity to power a city. (One lizard can power a whole city, and we cannot keep a phone charged past lunch.)

Its Special Attack and Speed are both 109. Its Dry Skin ability heals it in rain and absorbs Water moves, though strong sunlight hurts it, an odd catch for the Generator Pokemon.

#696

Tyrunt

Tyrunt is based on a juvenile tyrannosaurid, mainly a Tyrannosaurus, and the crests above its eyes are similar to the lacrimal horns of relatives such as Gorgosaurus and Albertosaurus. The royal theme of its line, which makes it the Royal Heir Pokemon, comes from the name Tyrannosaurus rex: Tyranno- is from the Ancient Greek word for tyrant, and rex is Latin for king. Its Dragon type nods to the Japanese word for dinosaur, kyōryū, meaning fearsome dragon. Tyrunt is selfish and likes to be pampered, and it can inflict grievous wounds on its Trainer even while playing around. (We also enjoy being pampered, though we keep it nonviolent.)

#697

Tyrantrum

Tyrantrum evolves from Tyrunt at level 39 during the day and grows into the full genus Tyrannosaurus, with an orange facial crest borrowed from members of the Carnosauria clade. This Pokemon was the king of the ancient world, and a single bite of its massive jaws will demolish a car. We drive a small car and now park it several streets away.

Its Strong Jaw ability backs that up, making biting moves 1.5× as powerful. With an Attack of 121 and a Defense of 119, it trades blows well, although its Speed of 71 leaves it moving second against most fast attackers.

#698

Amaura

Amaura is based on a young Amargasaurus, a sauropod speculated to have sail-like fins or skin extensions on its vertebral spines. The color-changing sails on its head appear to be based on auroras, which are mostly seen in polar regions and are most visible at night, and those may also explain its Ice type and the fact that it can only evolve at night. Amaura is an ancient Pokemon that has gone extinct, and specimens can sometimes be found frozen in ice. Extinct and still showing up for work is a feeling we know on Mondays.

Its Refrigerate ability turns its Normal moves into Ice moves and makes them 1.3× as strong.

#699

Aurorus

Aurorus evolves from Amaura at level 39 at night and grows into the full sauropod, still an Amargasaurus. Where Tyrantrum got kings, Aurorus may have been based on imagery of queens: the white V-shaped mark on its head and its sails make a tiara or a medieval headdress, while the ice crystals and patterning on its body resemble a dress. When gripped by rage, it emanates freezing air and covers everything around it in ice. Royalty with a temper means we will see ourselves out of the throne room.

It stands 2.7 m tall.

#783

Hakamo-o

Hakamo-o evolves from Jangmo-o at level 35 and is based on a theropod dinosaur with some traits from ankylosaurs. Its ritual war cries before confronting an opponent seem to allude to the haka, war dances by Polynesian warriors, and the way it uses its scales to produce sound may also reference cymbals and castanets. Hakamo-o clashes its scales together and roars before attacking its enemies, then lets its sharp claws shred the opposition. Warning people first is good manners, though we would still leave the room.

Its Bulletproof ability protects it against ball and bomb moves.

#784

Kommo-o

Kommo-o evolves from Hakamo-o at level 45, and its overall body shape still is based on a theropod dinosaur with some traits from ankylosaurs. However, the textures on its model in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet depict a layer of fur, which suggests armored mammals such as pangolins, historically hunted for scales that were made into scale armor. That fits the history: certain ruins have paintings of ancient warriors wearing armor made of Kommo-o scales. Wearing someone's scales feels rude, and we would still ask where they got them.

Its Defense of 125 leads its stats, and its Soundproof ability protects it against sound-based moves, which is funny on a Pokemon that makes its living rattling.

#848

Toxel

Toxel makes this list on a single detail, since the spikes on its head make it resemble an Ankylosaurus. Most of the design leans elsewhere, on a poison dart frog and on a human baby whose bottom half closely resembles a diaper and who throws temper tantrums. Toxel changes the chemical makeup of its poison to produce electricity, and while the voltage is weak, it can cause a tingling paralysis. (We have stopped asking questions about a diaper on a dinosaur page.)

#880

Dracozolt

Dracozolt is a paleontology mistake built on purpose, and it is the best joke in the Galar fossil set. It may be based on the chimera, a fossil reconstructed from several different animals, with a top half that appears to come from a dromaeosaurid and a bottom half based mainly on a stegosaurian. It may also nod to the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, a series of scientifically inaccurate sculptures displayed at the Crystal Palace Park. The problem is plain: the powerful muscles in its tail generate its electricity, and its upper half is entirely too small. We feel the same way about our desk chair. Its Volt Absorb ability soaks up Electric moves and heals it for a quarter of its max HP.

#882

Dracovish

Dracovish comes out of the same fossil mix-up as Dracozolt. Its bottom half is based mainly on a stegosaurian dinosaur, while its top half is mainly the fish Dunkleosteus, though its front fins look more like a coelacanth's. Putting the head on the tip of the tail may be a reference to the first reconstruction of Elasmosaurus. Its mighty legs can run faster than 40 mph, but it cannot breathe unless it is underwater. (Somebody signed off on this, and we would like a word with them.) Its Strong Jaw ability makes biting moves 1.5× as strong.

#884

Duraludon

Duraludon has the overall body shape of a theropod dinosaur, but the rest of it is architecture. Its rivalry with Tyranitar may be a reference to kaiju films, where skyscrapers famously tend to get destroyed. The metal on its body is presumably duralumin, an aluminum-copper alloy that is strong and light but not very resistant to corrosion. That light metal gives it considerable agility, and it lives in caves because it dislikes the rain. Rust is a fair excuse, since we skip plans over drizzle with none. It stands 1.8 m tall and weighs 40 kg, and its Light Metal ability halves even that.

#909

Fuecoco

Fuecoco is based on a baby crocodile, although it has some similarities to theropod dinosaurs and crocodile-shaped toys. Its fire may come from the way crocodiles release excess heat through their mouths. It may also reference the Drac de Na Coca, a crocodile legend from the Iberian Peninsula whose role in correfoc fire festivities may have inspired its Fire type. Its flame sac is small and energy is always leaking out of the dent on top of its head, flickering to and fro. (We also leak energy all day, though nobody calls ours adorable.) Its Blaze ability makes its Fire moves deal 1.5× damage once it drops to a third of its HP or less.

#951

Capsakid

Capsakid is a chili pepper first, an immature one such as the habanero. The dinosaur part comes from its white cap, which resembles a piece of egg shell and makes it look like a newly hatched baby dinosaur or chick. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 3 kg. We will be inspecting our next paella with a flashlight. Its Chlorophyll ability doubles its Speed in strong sunlight as well.

#984

Great Tusk

Great Tusk is based on Donphan, and its design may also draw on mammoths or mastodons. Its spikes and tail are reminiscent of dinosaurs, and that mix of mammal and reptile traits may point to early synapsids, once incorrectly called "mammal-like reptiles". Great Tusk resembles a mysterious Pokemon that, according to a paranormal magazine, has lived since ancient times. (We would like a subscription to this magazine, purely for research.) Its Attack and Defense are both 131.

#996

Frigibax

Frigibax Mostly resembles a baby dinosaur, perhaps the Concavenator, a theropod that had a crest on its back and quills on its forelimbs. Fossils of the genus were first discovered in Spain, and the crest is thought to have helped regulate body heat, which suits an Ice type nicely. Frigibax lives in forests and craggy areas, and it uses the power of its dorsal fin to cool the inside of its nest like a refrigerator. Our own fridge hums all night and has never once been this cute. Its Thermal Exchange ability raises its Attack when a Fire move hits it and stops it from being burned.

#997

Arctibax

Arctibax may be based on the Spinosaurus or the Concavenator, along with other sail-backed prehistoric animals. The sail is the point of the middle stage, because it is a weapon. Arctibax attacks with the blade of its frozen dorsal fin by doing a front flip in the air, and its strong back and legs let it pull off the move. A front flip, on purpose, in combat is more than we manage without tripping over the vacuum cord. Its Attack climbs to 95 here.

#998

Baxcalibur

Baxcalibur may draw on kaiju, and its upright posture may come from the need to fit a human actor inside the creature suit in kaiju films. Under the monster suit sits the same Concavenator as Frigibax, and the diamond shape of its sail may allude to the plates on the back of stegosaurids. Even its evolution level could be a reference to 1954, the year the first Godzilla movie came out. Baxcalibur launches itself into battle by flipping upside down and spewing frigid air from its mouth, then finishes opponents off with its dorsal blade. (Godzilla trivia in the level curve gets our respect for its commitment to a bit.)

#1005

Roaring Moon

Roaring Moon is based on Salamence, specifically its Mega-Evolved form, and by extension on European dragons. The dinosaur link is its feathers, which are similar to those of feathered dinosaurs. The shape of its wings resembles a crescent moon, an icon common in Islamic societies such as Al-Andalus, the parts of Iberia under Muslim rule in the Middle Ages. According to an article in a dubious magazine, it has some connection to a phenomenon that occurs in a certain region. The magazine is dubious, and we are choosing to believe it anyway.

#1007

Koraidon

Koraidon may be an amalgamation of lizards and dinosaurs. Its bipedal stance in its Apex Build recalls older depictions of theropod dinosaurs, and its head shape and alternate name, "Winged King", may be a reference to the Tyrannosaurus, the "King of the Dinosaurs". Better still, the English name of its signature move, Collision Course, alludes to the asteroid that wiped out most dinosaur species on Earth. Naming your best move after the thing that ended your ancestors takes nerve, and we struggle to name a houseplant. Koraidon resembles Cyclizar but is far burlier and more ferocious. Its Orichalcum Pulse ability turns the sunlight harsh as it enters battle and boosts its Attack while the sun lasts.

#1009

Walking Wake

Walking Wake is based on Suicune, with a bipedal reptilian body taken from theropod dinosaurs and possibly the basilisk lizard, which can also run on water. It shares traits with small theropods such as Coelophysis, but at 3.5 m it may also take after bigger ones like Carcharodontosaurus, whose name translates to "shark-toothed lizard", a good fit for a Water and Dragon type. Walking Wake resembles an illustration in a paranormal magazine, said to show a super-ancient Suicune. We have published worse drawings than that magazine, and with more confidence.

#1020

Gouging Fire

Gouging Fire is based on Entei, but its head belongs to ceratopsian dinosaurs, most notably Styracosaurus and Sinoceratops, with a similar ring of horns. The concept could come from the Deccan Traps, a volcanic formation in India whose activity is thought to have helped kill off the dinosaurs, and Entei is associated with volcanoes. Gouging Fire resembles an eerie Pokemon once shown in a paranormal magazine, said to be an Entei regenerated from a fossil. Our fact checkers asked for a second paranormal magazine to confirm, but none was available. It stands 3.5 m tall and weighs 590 kg.

#1021

Raging Bolt

Raging Bolt is based on Raikou and resembles sauropods such as the Brontosaurus, whose name means "thunder lizard". Its longer forelimbs and shorter hind limbs may come from the Brachiosaurus. It most resembles the Mokele-mbembe, a cryptid usually shown as an aggressive modern-day sauropod, which suits a Paradox Pokemon treated like a cryptid. Raging Bolt became a hot topic for a short while after a paranormal magazine touted it as Raikou's ancestor. A brief burst of fame and then silence is something we understand, since we run a blog.

28 of the 62 Dinosaur Pokemon Are Dragons

The Japanese word for dinosaur, kyōryū, means fearsome dragon, and the designs follow the word. 28 of the 62 dinosaur Pokemon are Dragon types, out of 70 Dragon-type Pokemon in the whole Pokedex. Tyrunt's Dragon type nods to that word directly, and Zekrom and Kyurem mix theropods with European dragons.

Dinosaur Pokemon FAQ

How many dinosaur Pokemon are there?

There are 62 dinosaur Pokemon. None has dinosaur in its category, though Aerodactyl, Dracozolt and Dracovish are all the Fossil Pokemon.

What is the strongest dinosaur Pokemon?

Five tie at a base stat total of 680: Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Reshiram and Zekrom. Among the ones that are not legendary, Tyranitar, Garchomp, Kommo-o and Baxcalibur tie at 600.

Is Aerodactyl a dinosaur?

No. Aerodactyl is based on pterosaurs, prehistoric flying reptiles that are related to dinosaurs without being classified as them.

Which Pokemon is a T. Rex?

Tyrunt and Tyrantrum. Tyrunt is based on a juvenile Tyrannosaurus, and Tyrantrum is based on the genus Tyrannosaurus itself.